Official language: Russian
Population: 142,008,838
Currency: Rouble (RUB)

Current Exchange Rate
1 EUR = 43.4766 RUB
1 GBP = 47.2465 RUB
1 USD = 28.9767 RUB

Sports Betting in Russia
While recent law changes have driven casinos, slot machines, and gambling halls out of major Russian cities and into special, designated gambling zones, sports betting still enjoys freedom in Russia. There are several companies that are licensed to provide sports betting, and their high street shops can be found in most major cities.

Another popular form of sports betting in the Russian Federation is the state-run sports lottery. Called Sportlotto 6/49, this lottery has been running since October of 1970. The sports lottery played an especially important role in financing the 1980 Olympic Games which were held in Moscow.

Online Sports Betting in Russia
Sports betting on the internet is also popular in the Russsian Federation. Online Russian sportsbooks are the only form of internet gambling that is licensed in the country. Fonbet, which is one of the country's largest and most popular sportsbook operators, has been operating online since 1994. Fonbet provides its service worldwide, and its long reputation as a respected company makes it popular.

Another option available to Russian punters is to place wagers at international online sportsbooks. These are sites hosted in other countries and run by foreign companies. While the vast majority of these international sites are in English, a few offer Russian translations of their services, and are ideal for Russian players who want to bet on sports on the internet.